Hydraulic coupling



Dec. 27, 4193s. L KSTERS 2,141,305

' y HYDRAULIC COUPLING V y lFilec'l Oct. 27, 1957 Inventor: Ludwig Ksters,

Patented Dec. 27., 1938 l UNITED sm'rrzs HYDRAULIC COUPLING Ludwig Ksters, Berlin-Lichterfelde, Germany,

assigner to General Electric Company, a corporation of New York Application October27, `1937, Serial No. 171,299

In Germany November 19,1936

e claims. `(c1. ca -'54) My invention'relates to hydraulic couplings, or power transmitting devices, and more particularly to an improved meansfor regulating the volume of fluid in said devices.

One object of my invention is to provide la frictionless throttle valve for controlling the escape of fluid from the transmission device.

For a better understanding of my invention together with othervand further objects thereof reference is had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying` drawing, and its scope Will be pointed out in the appended claims. A

My invention is especially adapted for use in l5 the hydraulic couplings, or transmissions, known as the Fttinger transmissions, and disclosed in U. S. Patents 1,199,359 and 1,199,360issued to Fttinger. In devices of this type, a regulation of the escape of fluid from the device is desirable to regulate the operation of the device. A convenient manner of regulating the fluid in these devices is to provide a spring, or a flexible diaphragm operated valve, which is responsive tov both the pressure in the casing and to thenpressure of the'fluid supply. With this arrangement, the fluid in the device is held-therein'as long as the pressure of the admitted fluid is normal. When the fluid supply is either shut off or its pressure is sufficiently reduced, the pressure within the .casing overcomes the pressure of the valve spring, or diaphragm tension, and the valve is yopened to permit fluid -to escape from the couplins.

My invention residesv in the provision of an improved valve mechanism which is responsive to the fluid alone, and is not affectedby the tension resistance of a diaphragm or by the pressure of a spring, whereby an accurate throttling action is obtained.

In the yaccompanying drawing, I have ,illustrated, partly in vertical cross section, taken through the center, a hydraulic transmission device ofthe type described in the above-mentioned Fttinger patents in which a series' of 1f pumpvanes 5 is mounted on the wall vof a rotatable casing 6, the end of which is closed by' a cover member I heldin place by suitable means such as bolts 8. A turbine wheel 9 is mounted in said closed casing, parallel to the 'pump vanes 5, on a driven shaft III to which it is keyed by a -key II. The shaft I0 projects into the casing 6 through a hollow shaft I2, -only a fragment of which is shown, and beyond the turbine wheel 9 where it supports a' frictionless bearing'l I3.'v "Ihe bearing4 I3 is the conventional type of ball "radial channel I9 in the Wall of the casing 6, into a valve chamber 2U.

bearing held in place on the shaft by a plate I4 and bolt l5 and provides for rotation of the cover end of the casing'relatively to 'the shaft. The hollow shaft I2, of which only a fragment is shown, comprises a'second bearing for the 5 casing and drivesthe casing 6 through a hub I6 which is keyed to it. In the hub I6, an annular chamber Il is provided to which operating fluid is supplied through a stationary annulus I'l into which fluid flows through a flanged inlet I'I from a source not shown. The operating fluid reaching this annular chamber through the annulus Il flows to the inside of the casing through a channel I8 and also flows through a The channel I9 is formed by a tube 2l and the valve chamber 20 is formed by a cup-shaped member 22 closed at one end by a cover 23. The valve chamber comtains a ball 24 which is movable horizontally to one end of the valve chamber to close an opening leading from the casing into the valve chamber and is movable from this opening to open `the channel 25 and toI simultaneously connect one end of the Valve chamber 20 through a channel 26 to the outsideof the casing. 'I'his ball 24 being arranged to move horizontally in the member 22 remains unaffected in this movement by centrifugal force generated by the rotation o f the casing 6 and moves` solely in response 30 to the fluid pressure in the casing which is exerted upon one side ofthe ball through the opening 25 and in response to the pressurev .of the supply fluid reaching the other side of the ball in the valve chamber through the radial channel I9. When fluid is admitted to the casing through the channel I 8 from the annular chamber I1, the pressure of the fluid exerted upon the back of the ball 24 through the channel I9 and chamber 20 moves'the ball 24 toward the opening or channel .40 25 to regulate the escape of fluid from the casing. 'I'he ball 2,4 is free to move -in the valve chamber and its movement is therefore solely f dueto an unbalance between the pressure of the fluidrv in the-casing and the pressure of the fluid supply. When the casing fluid pressure over.

plicity of construction, and its independence of any spring pressure or diaphragm tension.

In operation the casing 6 with the pump vanes is rotated by`the hollow driving shaft I2. When it is desired to transmit power to the turbine wheel' 9 an operating uid is forced from the annulus I'I to the annular chamber I1 through 'the channel I8 into the space between the pump and turbine vanes. This space is ring-shaped, being formed by the substantially circular walls of the casing and turbine wheel and by the spacing rings 21 and 28 which respectively space the outer ends of the pump and turbine vanes. As a result of the relative motion between the yturbine and pump vanes the fluid is given a helical motion and, with the addition of a substantial centrifugal force, a pressure is built up in the casing tending to force the ball 24 away from the opening 25. This ball is held against the opening 25 by thc supply fluid pressure exerted on the, other side of the bail through the channel I9 and chamber 2D. In actual operation a small amount of fluid. escapes continuously and this amount increases as the casing fluid pressure exceeds the supply fluid pressure. A continuous throttling action is therefore present, When the supply fluid is completely shut off the uid pressure in the chamber 20 is reduced by iluid leakage past the ball 24, through the clearance space which must necessarily kbe provided to'. permit the ball 24 to move freely in the chamber 20.

What I claim,as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. In a hydraulic coupling 'including a casing mounted for rotation, a pump wheel mounted in and attached to said casing and a turbine wheel mounted in said casing and spaced from said pump wheel for rotation relatively to said casing and said pump wheel, the combination of a supply chamber in said casing, a channel leading from said supply chamber to the space between said turbine and pump wheels, and a valve for regulating the escape of fluid owing from the space between said wheels, said valve including a valve chamber, a connection from said casing to said Valve chamber and to the outside of said casing, a spherical valve member loosely mounted in said valve chamber for moving horizontally independently of the centrifugal force created by the rotation of said casing for regulating the ow of fluid. from said casing through said valve chamber to the outside 'of'said casing, and a connection from said supply chamber to said valve chamber providing for supply fluid to urge said valve member to close the fluid escape channels in response to the pressure of said supply fluid whereby the escape of fluid from said casing is solely responsive to the difference in pressures between said basing and supply fluids.

2. In a hydraulic coupling the combination of a pump wheel, a turbine wheel, a casing enclosing said 'wheels and attached to one Y of said wheels for rotation therewith, a pair of concentric shafts attached to said Wheels respectively, a uid supply chamber in said casing connected to the space between said turbine and pump Wheels, a valve chamber in the wall of said casing, a connection from said uid supply chamber to said valve chamber, a connection from said' casing to said valve chamber and a fluid escape connection from said valve chamber to the .outside of said casing, and a ball in said valve chamber arranged to move horizontally subject to fluid pressure from said casing on one side and subject to pressure from said supply chamber on the other side thereof whereby the fluid escape from said casing is throttled in response to the difference between uid pressure in said casing and said fluid supply chamber.

3. In a hydraulic power transmission the combin-ation of a casing, a turbine wheel mounted in said casing, a shaft arranged concentric with said casing and projecting into said casing t-o supportsaid turbine wheel, a pump wheel combined with said casing and arranged to rotate therewith, an annular chamber vin the hub of said pump wheel, a channel connecting said annular chamber with said casing for the admission of an operating fluid into said casing from said annular chamber, and means for regulating the outlet 'of said fluid from said casing including a Valve chamber, a connection between said casing and said valve chamber, a ball in said chamber, a radial channel between said valve chamber and said annular chamber for admitting uid to said valve chamber to move said ball horizontally to close the channel between the valve chamber and said casing, and an opening from said valve chamber to the outside of said casing for permitting the iluid in said casing to escape when the pressure of the uid in said casing overcomes the pressure of the fluid in said valve chamber.

' LUDWIG KS'I'ERS. 

